On Wednesday, WWE announced a major title match for the October 19 episode of Raw at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego, California.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, WWE confirmed that Sami Zayn will put his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against Cody Rhodes.
“JUST ANNOUNCED! Get your tickets now to see Undisputed WWE Champion @SamiZayn vs. @CodyRhodes LIVE this Monday in San Diego!” the company tweeted.
🎟️: t.co/KFyldfYypr
It’s a surprising turn of events since Zayn and Rhodes are both SmackDown superstars.
The company also just announced Roman Reigns vs. Sami Zayn for Crown Jewel last Monday, so plans might be changing.
Zayn’s Last World Title Run Ended on Raw
At Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia last June, Sami Zayn shocked the world when he pinned Cody Rhodes during a triple threat match with Gunther to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion.
Zayn finally became a world champion, but his reign lasted for just nine days. He defended his title against CM Punk on the July 6 episode of Raw in Chicago and lost. He was supposed to defend it against Rhodes, but Gunther attacked The American Nightmare.
Then acting Raw general manager Nick Aldis called Punk, who accepted the offer to fight for the title.
Why Did Cody Rhodes Get a Title Shot?
Before Wednesday’s announcement, Cody Rhodes was not near the Undisputed WWE Championship picture on SmackDown. Rhodes was focused on his feud with Randy Orton, with the rivals set to have a face-to-face segment this Friday.
It will be interesting to see how the company brings up Rhodes’ title shot on SmackDown.
But why did Rhodes get a title shot?
While WWE is unlikely to confirm the reason, it could be due to the appeal of Roman Reigns vs. Cody Rhodes III.
It’s one of the biggest matches to be made, especially with the history between the two superstars. Reigns also took a shot at Conrad Thompson during an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast.
Thompson is known for his friendship with Rhodes, so things are definitely heating up. Reigns and Rhodes are also the top two stars of the company.
Another possible reason is for the promotion of the Street Fight movie. Reigns and Rhodes have major roles in the film as Akuma and Guile, respectively.
It could also be a continuation of the “Justice for Sami” gimmick. Zayn will surely call Rhodes’ title match an injustice, with The American Nightmare not earning the shot the right way.
Nevertheless, the match creates a lot of intrigue heading into Raw and Crown Jewel. There’s been speculation that WWE might move Crown Jewel out of Saudi Arabia due to the United States’ Travel Advisory Level 3.
But if Reigns vs. Rhodes III happens there, it’s impossible to see them moving the Premium Live Event out of one of their bigger markets.
WWE Announces Major Title Match for Oct. 19 Raw in San Diego